Appeal No. 2006-1712
Application No. 10/131,551
forming, by thin-film layer-formation processing, a precursor
body of such material on the substrate,
selecting a volumetric region in that body which is suitable
(a) for the creation therefrom of the desired device configuration
and (b) for the establishment therein of the desired set of
crystalline-structure-related mechanical properties,
within the processing zone, subjecting the selected region to
a controlled changing of the crystalline structure therein, and
thus of the related mechanical properties, and performing this
subjecting step in a manner which avoids any heat-related damage
to the underlying supporting substrate, and
by that processing, achieving, in the selected region, the
desired set of mechanical properties.
The examiner relies upon the following references as evidence
of obviousness:
Aklufi et al. 6,176,922 B1 Jan. 23, 2001
(Aklufi)
Hartzell US 2003/0196590 A1 Oct. 23, 2003
(Patent Application Publication, filed Apr. 23, 2002)
Hartzell US 2003/0196592 A1 Oct. 23, 2003
(Patent Application Publication, filed Apr. 23, 2002)
Hartzell US 2003/0196593 A1 Oct. 23, 2003
(Patent Application Publication, filed Apr. 23, 2002)
Im et al. (Im) WO 97/45827 Dec. 4, 1997
Claims 1-22 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112, second
paragraph. Claims 1-22 also stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as being unpatentable over Im in view of Aklufi. In
addition, the appealed claims stand rejected under the judicially
created doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting.
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